Working from home? You might be able to save on your expenses by managing a remote team. There are plenty of ways to manage a remote team, but here are some tried and true methods for getting the job done right.
If you’re going to work with a team of people who don’t live in the same location as you, you must create an environment that is conducive to collaboration and productivity.
Follow these tips for managing a remote team.
1) Ensure work is saved to a cloud service
Making sure that your team is using a cloud-based system will make it easier for everyone to work together.
Products like Office 365 have made storing files online easy so that you don’t need to worry about losing a file or forgetting where you’ve put one. The other big advantage of cloud storage is that you can access files from the same place regardless of what device or computer people are using. This enables your team members to be more productive since they’ll always have access to the information they need. However, you must use a separate Office 365 Cloud backup service to protect your data.
2) Set up weekly meetings
You’ll need to set up regular times for your team to get together. If possible, these meetings should be once a week.
Whether you have a formal meeting or an informal chat, make sure that the time is blocked off on everyone’s calendars so that it’s easy for them to coordinate their schedules around this time. Meeting once a week or once every other week gives you ample time to catch up on what everyone is working on and gives you the ability to have in-depth discussions about any problems or issues that come up.
When it comes time for your meetings, make sure that they are productive! Make sure you’re all stuck on the same page regarding deadlines, team goals, and the like.
3) Get everyone on the same page
Motivating and encouraging remote team members is crucial for creating a good work-life balance.
You can make this more manageable by setting guidelines for how you want your team to act. For instance, you might have a list of rules about what time people should be working or what hours they should be monitoring email and responding to questions. You might also set restrictions about when people are required to take breaks and when they’re expected to be available for collaboration. This way, each person on the team can know exactly what is expected of them from day one.
4) Have everyone be able to communicate and connect
People naturally want to connect. They enjoy being in touch with the people around them. While this might sound like a basic goal, it’s incredibly important for how your remote team functions.
Whether you use tools like Google Drive or email, make sure that each person on your team has instant access to all of the information that could help them help you.
Every member of your team should have access to anyone else’s calendar and files. This way, they can reference information if they need it, or bring something up if they see something that needs to be discussed right away.
While you can manage a remote team with just an email account, it’s important to remember that it’s more than just being able to communicate with each other. You need to be able to communicate in a way that’s conducive to productivity and collaboration.
If you work in a remote team or are managing one yourself, make sure you use these tips for managing a remote team and the people who work on it. You’ll find that your team will be happier and more productive when you take the time for effective communication.
